Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Blessings

I'm feeling very blessed today! It's probably a nice side-effect of all those endorphins getting released from my new-found love of running. Either way, it just seems like everything is going well. I was almost afraid to write that, because of what they say about karma or whatever, but we hold to the Truth, so I'm not too worried about karma. I know the immediate future will hold some challenges, with us going through our first winter as seasonal business owners. But, and this is a big BUT, we know without a doubt this is God's plan for us. We're ready for it! Bring on the winter!

I am wearing a Tshirt today that has Jeremiah 29:11 written on it. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a HOPE and a FUTURE." We claim that as Truth. The Truth is good stuff. And it's a really cute shirt!

So what's so great about today? Nothing spectacular, really. Beautiful sunny weather after a day of gray and rain. Getting to eat breakfast as a family because Greg stayed home this morning. Lunch with a precious friend, which included a huge glass of sweet tea. Going for a run in the cool wind and surviving again. Using my new hair products. (I am realizing I have an obsession with my hair lately.) Getting to spend the afternoon with my sweet babies, and listen to them tell me all the important things happening in their lives, which includes talking about purple birds, Nemo, and blankies.

No, there isn't anything spectacular about these things. But these are my blessings, however small they are. I am favored by God! As His daughter, I am loved, and loved well by my Abba.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Whew! I've done four "sessions" of the couch-to 5K already! I repeated week one for an extra day today.. and I think I'm ready to move on to week two! I really underestimated myself. I even sprinted on the last 90-second interval. I can't really claim it was a true sprint, but I did run faster and harder. It hurt, but felt good at the same time! I'm afraid to even look at what's in week two... but I'm committed now!

Carly just interrupted my typing to tell me she needed to go potty. Seriously!? She is not even two years old, and she just pooped on the potty! This is not the first time she's used the potty, but it was the first time she came and told me she needed to. Wow. Then as I was cleaning the potty, she went into her room and peed on the floor while getting out a clean diaper. Oh well. She pooped!

Caleb has also been doing very well on the potty lately. He gets SO MUCH stuff when he goes, I don't know why he wouldn't beg to go every day. Right now he gets a dollar for going every day or every other day, a check on his chart, sticker, AND he gets to brag to daddy. He's collecting dollars to buy a certain truck at Walmart... he's up to $11 and his truck only costs $13! This is a fun game because it's teaching him the value of money and counting. These are two unintentional side effects of it. We just wanted him to go poop, but everything is a teachable moment I suppose. Today he "read" his book to me at naptime. It's a simple book about *what else* animals, and has a little one-liner fact about each one. He recited about 75% of them before I could. It got me thinking about teaching him to really read. I think he could, if I could find a good simple curriculum that will help me teach him. I'm the one who's clueless about it!

I've been noticing on my left sidebar someone from DC clicks my blog a lot... if you are reading, leave me a comment and let me know who you are! If you are the White House, nevermind. There's nothing "red flag" going on here. Unless talking about poop is grossly offending, ha ha!

I'm hoping to get some pumpkin patch pictures this weekend of the kiddos, but I've got to get Carly's outfit finished first! It's going to be WILD!! I love it so far. I'm using a vintage pattern from my Granny, somewhere from the 70s. Of course, there will be added ruffles. And I'm talking about ruffles, people. It will be smashing!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Couch to 5K

Well, faithful readers, you are hearing it here first. I am going to become a runner. I've been making ugly faces at my friends for years when they brag about their running 6 miles the other day, or they pass so-and-so on the running trail every day blah blah blah but all it really was was me being jealous that people do that, and actually enjoy it. That's right, I'm that shallow! And petty enough to say stupid things like, "Why would anyone run for fun?" So there you have it, I'm the petty jealous type!

SO, I had heard about this so-called running program that claims to be able to get your butt off the couch and into a 5K race in 9 weeks. Right. But at the same time I was silently mocking I felt a pull to be involved. (see earlier post about my addiction to being in the middle of everything all the time). And after my gluten tolerance test came back normal and I have no medical answers to why I am perpetually skinny despite my man-sized appetite, I figured if God gave me this body I might as well take delight in it and treat it well. That starts with getting in shape. Or at least able to climb a couple flights of stairs without breathing so hard it sounds like I've run three miles (or a 5K maybe?).

It's a pretty simple program, like baby steps for stupid people (which I consider myself at this point). My biggest hangup to starting was How to do this with my kids? I don't have a runnable -- yes I made that word up-- double stroller, so taking them with isn't an option. Today the problem solved itself. I took the kids on a walk down our street, with Carly in our lightweight single stroller, and Caleb pushing his Little Tykes fire truck. As I watched him running ahead of me, then stopping to wait for me to catch up, it dawned on me, "Why can't the boy run along beside me?" So that's exactly what ended up happening. I changed into my running shoes (why I even have running shoes is a mystery since before today I haven't run since, ahhhh, middle school maybe?) and off we went, jogging for 60 seconds, and then walking for 90 seconds, repeat for 20 minutes.

Let me just say this right now. That was the LONGEST 20 minutes of my LIFE thus far. Forget childbirth. Puh-lease. That was easy peasy compared to the stabbing pain in my side and my burning lungs after about half of this torture regimen. I'm going to have to take the remedial track of this program and give myself an extra week at the beginning. So I will officially start Week One next Monday. Check back with me around Thanksgiving and see if 1) I'm dead, or 2) I'm a running-obsessed freak planning a half-marathon in January.

I'm not saying I'm committed just yet, but given the fact that I didn't die on the side of the street today, and I have recovered enough to function like nothing torturous happened to me today, I think I will do it again.

If you'd like to run with me, leave me a comment and I'll set up an email accountability group. That will give me enough pressure that maybe I'll follow through.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Choices

As a mom of a toddler and a preschooler, I often hear the advice, "Pick your battles." Today I had a choice. Mommy needed to go to the bathroom, which on 99% of occasions happens with an audience of two. I'm okay with that. But today I just wanted some privacy for once. So I closed and locked the door, sat down, and proceeded. About 3.2 seconds later I heard the rustling at the door. After that I heard, "Mommy? What are you doing?" Then I heard a short pause, (the realization that the door was locked) and then "WAHHHHHHHHHHH! I want to come in there with you!!" So my time to myself was filled with lots and lots of noise.

So I realized I have two choices... perform in front of an audience, or listen to an over-the-top performance just outside the door. Today I chose the latter. Never again.